The Atlantic and the Aspen Institute Announce the 2012 Aspen Ideas Festival

By Press Releases

Washington, D.C. -- The Aspen Institute and The Atlantic
announce their eighth annual celebration of ideas with the 2012 Aspen
Ideas Festival. In Aspen, Colorado, from June 27 through July 3, more
than 250 of the most interesting thinkers and leaders from around the
country and the world will gather to discuss their work, the issues
that inspire them, and their ideas. The week's programming will span a
vast range of critical topics such as the economy, the environment,
science and technology, the arts, global affairs, and the presidential
election. The public discourse - exciting, provocative, entertaining,
and educational - will take place over seven days before a festival
audience of nearly 2,200, as well as those following the festival
online throughout the world.

Alongside leading journalists such as Mike
Allen, Kurt Andersen, Maria Bartiromo, James Bennet, Christine Brennan,
David Brooks, Ronald Brownstein, Steve Clemons, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Neal
Conan, Katie Couric, James Fallows, Jeffrey Goldberg, Gwen Ifill, Steve
Inskeep, Joe Klein, Alexis Madrigal, Suzanne Malveaux, Andrea Mitchell,
Joe Nocera, Michele Norris, Charlie Rose, Bob Schieffer, Scott Stossel,
Dina Temple-Raston, and Vijay Vaitheeswaran, presenters will discuss their ideas in plenary sessions, tutorials, and other sessions on program tracks including World
Affairs: Democracy on Trial; America 2012; The Economy: Is the Crisis
Permanent?; Our Planet: Life in a World of Seven Billion; Arts and
Culture: Art Matters; War and Peace in the Modern World; and Sports Taken Seriously. (A full list of all program tracks is available at www.aifestival.org.)

"My
hope with the Festival is to bring leaders, problem solvers, deep
thinkers, and enthused champions to inspire us to imagine the
possibilities for change and progress," said Kitty Boone, vice
president of public programs at the Aspen Institute and director of the
Aspen Ideas Festival. "We will also introduce some remarkable young
minds this summer - students from MIT's Media Lab and Stanford
University's Design School - who, we think, will give hope that the
problems our society has created in recent decades are, in fact, being
expertly addressed by some of the most innovative, exciting, and
exuberant minds of this coming generation of leaders."

"We're
looking forward to a spirited contest of ideas-some straightforward,
and some, I hope, out of deep left field-to invigorate our culture,
society, and politics," said James Bennet, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. "This year, The Atlantic
will intently cover the Festival with a team of journalists in
hopes of bringing more people into the debate than we ever have before." During the lead-up to the Aspen Ideas Festival, The Atlantic will host an Ideas Special Report
on its website, highlighting breakthroughs and innovations having
direct impact on business, technology, politics, science, and the arts.
The report coincides with the July/August Ideas issue of The Atlantic in print and online, focused on the most powerful ideas shaping our world.

Starting
June 26, TheAtlantic.com will offer comprehensive coverage of the
Festival, including articles on the most compelling discussions and
presentations, a daily "Today at Aspen" photo gallery, and video
conversations with panelists and attendees. Online coverage will also
include special commentaries and observations from Atlantic
writers and editors on the scene, including Molly Ball, Kasia
Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg, Steve Clemons, Ta-Nehisi Coates, James
Fallows, Garance Franke-Ruta, Conor Friedersdorf, Jeffrey Goldberg,
John Hudson, and Alexis Madrigal, as well as National Journal's Ronald Brownstein and Quartz's Kevin Delaney.

It
is now possible to keep up with the Aspen Ideas Festival in more ways
than ever before. Full-session video and clips will be featured on Fora.tv, on the Aspen Institute's YouTube channel, on www.AspenIdeas.org, iTunesU, and on the Aspen Institute's video channel. The Aspen Ideas Festival will continue to have a vibrant presence--both this week and year-round--on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.
Follow the Ideas Festival on Twitter at @aifestival with the hashtag
#AspenIdeas. Entire tracks from the 2012 Festival and past festivals
can be downloaded from the "Beyond the Classroom" section of iTunesU,
and discussions on current events can be followed on the Aspen Ideas
Festival blog year-round.

For a list of currently confirmed speakers, program tracks, and passholder information, please visit www.aifestival.org.

About The AtlanticSince 1857, The Atlantic
has played a central role in shaping the national debate on current
affairs and cultural trends. Dedicated to bold, independent, diverse,
and highly reasoned perspectives, its writers, bloggers, and critics
represent the best in American journalism. The Atlantic's
award-winning commentary and coverage can be found in its magazine, on
its website at www.TheAtlantic.com, and at more than 70 events a year
produced by its industry-leading events division, AtlanticLIVE.

About The Aspen InstituteThe
Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership,
encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define
a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for
discussing and acting on critical issues. The Aspen Institute does this
primarily in four ways: seminars, young-leader fellowships around the
globe, policy programs, and public conferences and events. The
Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye
River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City
and an international network of partners. For more information, visit
www.aspeninstitute.org.